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09/13/2018 12:01 AMI had such a lovely evening at a friend’s home during the Labor Day weekend, which is often considered the end of summer.
The food was wonderful. Appetizers included roasted tomatoes on good bread and carrots and cherry tomatoes with a dip. There was a pasta salad with vegetables from Libby’s garden and a pure summer dish of salmon on the grill. And not to forget: There were several lovely bottles of wine.
Over dinner we talked food.
Libby hasn’t eaten sweets for 22 years; Lee is a vegetarian, but does eat fish; and I try really hard to buy local and seasonal. We began talking about what we would want for our last meal on earth. For Libby it would be fresh tomatoes and lobster. Lee figured it might be pasta. For me it would be a great hamburger.
Lee listened as Libby and I talked about where we might get the best hamburger ever. I’m in love with Westbrook’s Haywire. Libby says she hears Michael Jordan’s 24 is fabulous. I agreed, but added that even I can’t finish 24’s burger.
When I was ready to go home, Libby sent me home with some of Trader Joe’s big paper bags (I use them to clean up my cats’ litter box) and a frozen packet of what she calls the best applesauce ever. When I got home, I thought about the next night’s dinner, and remembered to take some chicken out of the freezer. The next morning, I put my Instant Pot on the kitchen counter and made a new chicken recipe in the slow cooker. The recipe turned out great, so here you go.
It’s the kind of meal that is perfect for fall—so save it. Autumn doesn’t begin until Saturday, Sept. 22.
Until the really cold weather hits, you will find me spending time at Eastern Point Beach. The lifeguards are gone. So is the snack shop, alas. But there will be those days, with not a cloud in the sky, no humidity, in the low 80s. There will be few parents with kids. I will be reading a great book. It’s still summer for me.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Slow Cooker Chicken Congeee.
Adapted from Real Simple magazine, September 2018
Yield: serves 8 (will freeze well)
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 13.88-ounce can of coconut milk, well shaken
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I always use sea salt)
1 bunch of scallions, 2 sliced, remaining left whole
Cilantro, roasted peanuts, toasted coconut, sriracha, and
lime wedges, for serving
Place chicken, broth, rice, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and whole scallions in a slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover and cook until chicken is falling off the bone and rice has a porridge-like consistency, 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high.
Discard ginger and scallions. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred meat; discard skin and bones. Stir chicken back into rice mixture.
Top congee with sliced scallions, cilantro, peanuts, coconut, and sriracha. Serve with lime wedges.